Noah dropped a bag against the wall and tugged his sweatshirt over his head. “Not long ago, you told me you’d spar with me anytime.”
“You want a round in the ring?”
“You don’t?”
Fuck yes, he did. “Straps or gloves?”
Noah’s gaze lowered to Zane’s hands. “Straps.”
Zane pulled some from the equipment box and threw them Noah’s way. He caught them and toed off his shoes before stepping into the octagonal ring and strapping his hands.
“You want a warm-up?” Zane asked, as he joined Noah.
“I’m warm.”
Fine with Zane. He lifted his hands to his face, protecting his chin and temples, and bent his knees.
The second Noah finished with his straps, he threw the first punch. Zane dodged it easily.
Noah’s jaw clenched. “I love my sister.”
Another punch from Noah. Another dodge from Zane.
“And I thought I trusted her,” he continued as they bounced around each other. “But then that article about you came out and, fuck, I just…I realized that maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m scared that shitty things are going to happen to her again, and she’ll run a second time.”
Shitty things being him.
Noah threw a punch, then a hook.
Zane avoided both.
“Thirteen years she was gone,” Noah said quietly. “She wouldn’t even take our calls. I don’t want that happening again.”
“Unless she’s said it’s a possibility, maybe you should trust that she’s here to stay,” Zane replied.
“I should.”
This time, Noah’s punch swiped the side of Zane’s chin. It was more of a graze, and Zane countered with his first hit—a hook that landed in Noah’s side.
He barely reacted, just bounced back.
“I don’t know if she’s mentioned it, but she’s not talking to me,” Zane growled, a bite of frustration behind each word. “So I don’t think you have anything to worry about right now.”
“Do you know how many times she looked at her phone today? So many I lost count.” Noah jabbed, then side-kicked.
Both hit their marks. But Zane remained on his feet, absorbing the blows.
“It was because of you,” Noah continued. “She was checking for a text or a call fromyou.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“It is if you aren’t the person I thought you were.” Another missed hit from Noah. “Who are you, Zane?”
“I’m a guy who trusted the wrong person. I trusted family. But not everyone has family like yours.” Zane threw an uppercut, but Noah dodged. “I didn’t see what I should have, and it almost cost me my life.”
Noah’s brows drew together, and he studied Zane like he was trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.
“I’ll also tell you who I’m not,” Zane continued. “I’m not a guy who would hurt her. I’m not a guy who’d put her in danger, from me or anyone else. And if the worst-case scenario happened, andeither she or I needed to leave…I’d go.” But fuck, he hoped it didn’t come to that.
